Bill Successfully Introduced to Strengthen Protections for Child Victims and Witnesses

Bill seeks to provide alternatives for child victims and witnesses to testify outside the courtroom, mandates privacy protections, and promotes faster legal proceedings to reduce emotional strain on children involved in abuse or exploitation cases

Lawmakers in the 35th Legislature have expressed support for a bill introduced during Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, and Public Safety that seeks to create stronger protections for children who are victims or witnesses to a crime.

Bill 35-0031, sponsored by Senators Angel Bolques and Dwayne DeGraff, “[establishes] new legal protections aligned with best practices for children who are either victims or witnesses of crimes involving physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and neglect.” According to Mr. Bolques, “the purpose of this bill is to encourage and ensure that our legal system treats our youngest and most vulnerable citizens with dignity, sensitivity and care that they deserve during traumatic legal proceedings.”‌

The proposed legislation seeks to provide alternatives to in-court testimony from child victims or witnesses, allowing them to instead testify through closed-circuit television or videotape. These options, said Mr. Bolques, are “necessary to reduce their emotional distress.” The bill also “mandates privacy protections and limits the reproduction of sensitive materials such as child pornography.” It promotes “a swift legal proceeding to reduce the burden of prolonged legal engagement, to minimize the psychological and emotional strain on children,” the bill's sponsor said.‌